Severus of Naples

Saint Severus of Naples
Statues of Saint Severinus and Saint Severus (right), carried during a procession at San Severo.
Bishop
Died	April 29, 409 Naples
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast	April 29
Patronage	San Severo (Foggia)

Saint Severus (Italian: San Severo di Napoli) (died 409) was a bishop of Naples during the 4th and 5th centuries. He is considered the twelfth bishop of Naples, succeeding Maximus. His episcopate ran from February 363 to April 29, 409, the traditional date of his death. Maximus is actually considered the 10th bishop by the Catholic Church; between the episcopates of Maximus and Severus was the episcopate of Zosimus, who was Arian and thus considered heretical by the Catholic Church.

Severus was a friend of Saint Ambrose, whom he met at council at Capua in 392.

To Severus is attributed the construction of the Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte, associated with the basilica of Santa Restituta.

Severus also built outside of the city walls the Basilica of San Fortunato, to which he translated the relics of his predecessor Maximus.

To Severus is also attributed the first translation of the body of St. Januarius from Pozzuoli to Naples, which occurred in 367. According to an early hagiography, Januarius' relics were transferred by order of Severus to the Neapolitan catacombs extra moenia.

His relics were translated from the Battistero di Napoli to the district known as Rione Sanità in the 9th century, to what became known as the Catacombs of San Severo. In 1310, Archbishop Umberto d’Ormont (Uberto d'Ormont), who had served as abbot of the Basilica of San Severo, placed Severus' relics in the main altar of San Severo, and had built a marble ciborium, which has been attributed to Tino da Camaino.